Ants rank as one of the most important pest complexes in the structural pest control industry. Because many pest ants are naturally adapted for feeding on sugary liquids, there is little doubt in that sugar-based liquid ant baits would be among the ideal choices for pest ant management for urban, agricultural, and natural settings. When properly designed and deployed, the bait strategies could also bring many other benefits including the lower risk of non-target impact, reduced environmental contamination, and minimal off-site movement of applied pesticides. However, for a broader adoption of the liquid baiting for integrated pest management (IPM) of ants, there are several requirements that are need to be addressed. Among those are (1) the bait stations need to be designed to prevent the access of non-target organisms, (2) the liquid bait needs to be consumed by the target pest ants before it degrades, (3) the liquid bait needs to be protected from extreme dry or wet environmental conditions (for example, hot weather, irrigation, or natural precipitation) to maintain its optimal concentration and consistency, (4) the liquid bait needs to be protected from spillage and leakage, and (5) the bait station and methods of the application need to be designed in a way that would minimize the service and maintenance.
Most of bait delivery systems currently available typically incorporate simple plastic containers, which can hold liquid or gel type bait materials. These bait stations (or bait housing) are believed to protect the bait materials from outer environmental factors, such as low or excessive moisture, dusts, etc. and non-target organisms. In some cases, bait stations have large bait reservoirs that can hold a relatively large amount of liquid bait (500-1,500 ml) to allow the system to deliver the liquid bait to larger population of target ants without the need of frequent refill or service. However, most current systems have potential problems such as bait spoilage, increased concentration of toxicant in the bait (caused by water loss of the liquid bait at the dispenser), and increased bait viscosity (caused by water loss and present of sugar in the liquid bait), which all could be potentially detrimental for continuous consumption of the bait by the target ant population.
In accordance with an exemplary embodiment, a novel bait station is disclosed, which address the important needs of a successful baiting.